Internal-combustion engine.



E. J. & J. F. WOOLF.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. 1914.

1,292,942. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. 1914- 1,292,942. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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E. J. 1&1. F. WOOLF.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE,

APPLICATION FILED APR. n. 1914.

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TVr'fnesses:

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INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II, 1914.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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, walls of cylinder 11. y

intake ports 19 for cylinder 10, and 20 for UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS J. WOOLF JAY I. WOOLF, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS TO THE WOOLF CYCLE MOTOR COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A. CORPORATION or ARIZONA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

1,292,94-2 Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d J 2 191 Application filed April 11, 1914. Serial No. 831,141 a Our invention relates to mternal combustion engines and has for its object to provide a two-cylinder, two-cycle engine controlled by novel valve mechanism, a single such mechanism being operativeto control both engine units. I

A further object of our invention is to provide improved means of conveying the carbureted mixture to the crank chamber and for supplying air to the crank chamber.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for vaporizingheavy oil, such as kerosene, such vaporization acting to cool the engine units and valve.

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of our invention in one form,

Figure 1 is a section taken centrally through the two cylinders and the valve. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view showing the valve in the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through thevalve at right angles to the showing of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a partial top view of our engine. Fig.7 is a sectional detail view of the carbureter.

A pair of engine cylinders 10 and 11 are positioned, properly spaced from one another, so as to permit an intermediate valve cylinder 12 to be placed on the center line between cylinders 10 and 11. Outer casings 13 and 14 surround cylinders 10 and 11 in spaced relation, forming circulation chambers 15, 16. A series of annular exhaust ports 17 is provided from cylinder 11, similar ports 18 being "provided through the Annular admission or cylinder 11, are positioned immediately below the corresponding ports 17 and 18 and are separated by narrow webs 21 and 22.

Pistons 29 and 30 operate in cylinders 10.

and 11, and through piston rods 31 are adapted to actuate a crank shaft 32 in a wellknown way. The pistons 29 and 30 have extensions 33 and 34 working in cylinders 27 and 28, respectively. The extended piston portions 33 and 34 work back and forth in the cylinders 27 and 28 and operate to draw in the charge of carbureted explosive mixture and subsequently force the same into the cylinder, as will be later described. Each of cylinders 27 and 28 is provided with a pair of ports 35 and 36, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, which ports are somewhat wider than the piston extensions 33 and 34, so that when said pistons are in their highest position,fas indicated at 34 in Fig., 1, the ports 35 and 36 will be partly uncovered, permitting air to enter the crank chamber directly and meet the charge of explosive mixture which has been induced through the carburetor. This is of much importance, as it permits the use of a relatively smaller carbureter and the direct induction of a richer mixture. As will be later pointed out, the passages leading into the crank chambers roper are of a size approximately correspon to a full charge of the cylinders, so that ittle of the rich explosive mixture gets beyond these passages and into the crank chambers proper, the air induced through ports 35 and 36 filling the extra vacuum within the crank chambers and propelling and following the explosive mixture into the cylinders. The space 37 between the bottom of the cylinders proper and the piston extensions 33 and 34 is at all times at atmospheric pressure, air flowing in and out through ports 35 and 36 as the piston operates. This has the advantage not only of relieving the passageways 37 from pressure, but also keeps the lower art of the pistons 29 and 30 well cooled'and aids in rendering proving the operation of the machine.

Surrounding the. bottom or valved portionof the cylinders and 11, and the1r ackets 13 and 14, arecasings 38 and 39, respectively,

which, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, unite in legs 40 and 41 at each side and form a portion of the central valve cylinder 12. The casings 38 and 39 are provided wlth 1nturned webs 42 and 43 which engage the webs 21 and 22, separating the exhaust j cylinder l2 provides an exhaust passageway for both of the'engine cylinders 10 and 11,-

which passageway extendshnto a chamber 48 which empties through an enlarged opening v49 into a common exhaust pipe 50.

4 Below the webs or partitions 42 and 43, and exhaust passages 44 and 45, annular inlet passages 51 and 52 are formed within casings 38 and 39." These inlet passages communicate with longitudinal passages 53 and 54, extending downwardly outside of cylinders 27 and 28 and opening through passages 55 and 56 into the interior of cylinders 27 and 28, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the passages 53 and 54 being formed by downward extensions 57 and 58 of casings 38 and 39, as shown in Fig. 3. The annular passageway 51 is connected by a port 59 extendin between legs 40 and 41 with the interior 0 valve cylinder 12. And the annular passageway 52 is similarly connected with valve cylinder 12 by port 60, extending between legs 40 and 41, at theopposite side of cylinder 12 from port 59, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be apparent, therefore, that valve cylinder 12 also comprises an intake passageway 61 for admitting the explosive mixture to both engine cylinders 10 and 11. A carbureter 62, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, communicates through pipe ,63 and opening 64 with the interior passageway 61. The construction and'mode of operation of this carbureter will be more fully given hereafter.

The means of successively opening and closing the exhaust ports 17, 18 and admission ports 19, 20 of the respective cylinders 10- and 11 for successive admission and exhaust to and from said cylinders through the single valve cylinder 12, will now be described. In the first place, the exhaust ports are opened and closed from the inside by the pistons 29 and 30. Likewise, the

inlet ports are similarly opened and closed, the exhaust ports being opened in advance of the opening of the inlet ports and closed after the closing of the inlet ports, all by the operation of the piston in the-usual way. The control of the ports opening into valve cylinder 12, of which there are four, an exhaust port and an inlet port into each engine cylinder, is effected by a single sleeve valve 65 mounted for endwise reciprocation within cylinder 12. An exterior longitudinal View of this valve is, shown in Fig. 5, and a sectional View in two different positions in Figs. 1 and 4. The valve comprises a central, solid-walled tube 66, which is pivotally connected at 67 with a pitman 68 operated by an eccentric 69 on the crank shaft 32, by means of which the valve is reciprocated throughout the desired extent. The tube 66 is provided with an interior transverse'partition 70, and also a web or flange 71 in the same plane as said partition 70 extending outwardly and surround ing the tube 66 and engaging the interior of cylinder 12 between exhaust ports 46, 47 and inlet ports 59, 60. Adjacent engine cylinder 11, the flange 71 directly engages the wall of cylinder 12. Upon the side of the valve adjacent engine cylinder 10 is secured to flange 71 the sleeve valve proper 73. This is continuous on the side of engine cylinder 10, and extends around to the side of engine cylinder 11 in two elongated portions 74 and 75, respectively, which are separated from flange 71 by openings or ports' 76 and 77 extendingv throughout a semicircumference corresponding to the dis' tance between the legs 40 and 41 of valve cylinder 12. From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the portion 73 of the sleeve valve adjacent engine cylinder 10. is undivided but cut away at 78 and 79, so that the vertical movementv of the sleeve uncovers ports 46 and 59 by moving the ends of portion 73 above or below said ports, and that the portion 73 is of such length that the exhaust port 46 remains closed until after inlet port 59 has been closed thereby, and the inlet port 59 remains closed while the exhaust port 46 is open and until after the same has been closed. It will, furthermore be apparent that the exhaust port 47 and inlet port 60 for engine cylinder 11 are closed by elongated portions 74 and 75; that these ports are opened not from the ends of the elongated portions, but through the internal openings 76 and 77 when the sleeve valve comes toits respective limits of longitudinal movement. The ports 47 and 60 are successively opened and closed in a manner similar to the opening and closing of ports 46 and 59, and the arrangement is such that exhaust port '46, from cylinder 10, is opened and closed while exhaust port 47, from cylinder 11, is held closed by sleeve portion 74:; and after exhaust port 46 has been closed by portion 73, then exhaust port 47 is 0 ened by further movement of the portion 24, bringing the open port 76 into register with port 47. quence of operation takes place with respect to inlet ports 59 and 60, respectively, so that an exhaust port from cylinder 10 is open while an inlet port into the inlet passages of cylinder 11 is open, inlet port of cylinder 10 and exhaust port of cylinder 11 being at that time closed, and vice versa, the single valve 65 thus operating in one complete reciprocation successively to open and close the inlet and exhaust ports of each of the two engine units whereby charging and exhaust of each of said units has taken place in properlytimed sequence. It is to be observed that the web or flange 71, divides the space within valve cylinder 12 into upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising the exhaust passageway 48 from which the exhaust pipe 50 leads, while the lower portion comprises the inlet chamber or passage 61 into which the inlet pipe 64 discharges. To insure good bearing movement of the sleeve valve, and to seal the lower portion of inlet chamber 61,.we secure a cylinder disk 80 upon the lower portion of tube 66 which engages within the walls of valve cylinder 12.

An important feature of our invention,

and one which may be applied with marked eificiency to the carbureting method which we employ, resides in the means for circulating the fiuid for cooling the cylinders, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A pipe 81 leads from a tank or radiator 82 through an aperture 83 and discharges into a chamber 84: formed by a casing 85 surrounding the top of the valve cylinder 12 and a contracted cylindrical portion 86 coextensive therewith. The interior bore of cylinder 86 is of the same diameter as the tubular member 66 of the valve 65. and is connected with the chamber 84 by means of a semicircular port 87. The tube 66 is divided longitudinally by a diametrical partition 88, which extends to a point near the transverse partition 70. The top of tube 66 at one side of partition 88 is closed by a cap 89, and a semicircular port 90, similar to port 87, opens through the wall of tube 66 into the passageway 91 within the tubeat one side of partition 88. The passageway 92 at the otherside of partition 88 opens directly into the chamber 93 within cylinder 86. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, when the valve and the tube 66 are at the lowest point of movement, the ports 87 and 90 are in a position so that fluid from pipe 81 in chamber 84 may flow through said ports and the passages 91 and 92 throughout the length of the tubular member 66 and into the cham- The same seber 93 above cap 89. An upwardly-opening check-valve 94 closes the top of cylinder 93 which opens through the valve space into achamber 95, from which extend pipes 96 and 97 emptying into the circulation chambers 15 and 16, respectively, surrounding cylinders 10 and 11. It will thus be seen that the tubular member 66 becomes a forcepump for driving a cooling liquid from chamber 93, past cheek-valve 94, through pipes 96 and 97 into circulation chambers 15 and 16 during the upward movement of tube 66 and valve 65. Upon the return movement of sleeve 66, valve 94 will close and a vacuum be formed in chamber 93 until port 90 opens communication through port where the same is exposed to the hot exhaust gases passing through chamber 48, also provides means for cooling the valve, and partieularly for, cooling the outgoing stream of gases of combustion, which results in rapid contraction and consequent reduction of back pressure at the valves.

This pumping system may be employed where water is used for the cooling liquid.

. We contemplate, however, circulating kerosene either by itself or in combination with other-heavy fuel oils and cooling by the vaporization of the kerosene, using the kerosene vapor thus formed to operate the engine. To that end, the pipe 96 is shown as delivering into a cap-chamber 98 in the topof jacket-chamber 15, which cap-chamber opens through an annular opening 99 surrounding a spark-pocket extension 100' into the chamber 15 above the top of cylinder 10. Similarly, pipe 97 discharges into a cap-chamber 101 opening throughan annular port 102 surrounding spark-pocket extension 103 into jacket-chamber 16. The kerosene oil which passes. through the openings 98 and 102 will flow down over cylinders 10 and 11, accumulating at. the bottom thereof adjacent passages 104, 105, which extend entirely around the bottom of the cylinder beneath thesets of inlet ports 19,

'20, respectively, from which the oil is discharged by gravity through pipes 106, 107 into tanks 82. The tank 82 will not be entirely full, and the pipes 106. 107 will have a capacity suflicieut to withdraw by gravity all liquid forced into chambers 15 and 16 by the pump arrangement above described. If desired, a pump separate from the valve-operating mechanism may be empracticable the very high advantage of de-' livering the stream of cooling liquid through the tubular member 66 and thereby effectively preventing overheating of the valve parts and cooling the discharge gases. The kerosene vapor set free by the passage of the kerosene oil through tubular member 66 and over cylinder walls 10 and 11, is delivered through pipes 108, 109-into a connecting pipe 110, from which a single delivery pipe 111 conveys the vapor to a fuel inlet port 112 of the carb-ureter 62, as best shown in Fig. 5. The carbureter 62 comprises an air inlet port 113 immediately above port 112, external air being admitted to port 113 through annular openings 114 surrounding the fuel inlet passageway 112. An inwardly-opening check-valve 115 closes the port 112, a similar check-valve 116 closing the port 113, and both these valves are on a common stem 117 which projects through the carburetor casing 62 and is held seated by spring 118 surrounding stem 117 between valve 116 and casing 62. As best shown in Fig. 8, the stem 117 has a portion 119 which projects through top Wall of casing 62 and is limited in its outward movement. by a .conical point 120. The point 120 is on a head which slides within a tubular boxing 121.

ver, not shown, through connections 122, as i The head is controlled by a hand leindicated in Fig. 2. The projection or withdrawal of the cone-shaped point 120 will,

it is apparent, permit a greater or less movement of valves 115, 116, thereby regulating the amount of fuel mixture to be admitted to the carbureter. It will be observed, also, that the extent of opening of the fuel vapor port 112 and the air port 113 will be proportional, since the valves 115 and 116 are on the samestem, so that the proportions of air and fuel gas will remain practically constant however the amountof mixture admitted may be varied. The richness of the mixture is also controlled by a throttle valve 123 manually controlled through connections 124.

It will be seen that by this arrangement such heavy oils as kerosene may be'employed with the highest efficiency, the vaporizing of these oils being effected-by'the heat of the engine, and in turn operating to cool the engine cylinders and valves. Where fuel oil is circulated as a cooling medium, if it is desired a radiator may be connected within the extent of pipe 81 so mea re that the oil which enters chamber 84 and tubular member 66 will be sufficiently cold so as tojprevent excessive vaporization and 'too great vapor pressure within pipe 111.

spark plug extensions 100 and 103 in which the spark plugs 125 are seated, so that a chamber 126 is formed within the extensions 100 or 103. A small aperture 127 leads from chamber 126 into cylinders 10 and 11, respectively. Now, after explosion the chamber 126 will be free of explosive gas. Only after the inward movement of the piston 29 or 30 will the live fuel mixture be forced into chamber 126 to a suflicient extent to The advantages of our invention will be apparent. A single valve member working in conjunction with the engine piston operates the inlet valves and the exhaust valves of both cylinders of a pair, and one inlet passageway and outlet or exhaust passageway is all that is required for both engine units. Of course the valve organization 'could be advantageously used in respect to a single engine unit, but it cooperates in the highest degree with a pair of such engine units, and thereby produces a perfectly symmetrical and balanced engine of the highest power and efliciency which, although working on the two-cycle ratio, is as effective in exhausting, charging andobtaining the maximum amount of energy from each explosion as the far more complicated and expensive engines of the four-cycle type, at the same time efl'ecting twice as many explosions in a given period of operation.

We claim:

1. A two-cycle engine comprising a cylinder casing having a series of annular exhaust ports and a series of annular inlet ports spaced therefrom, a casing surrounding said cylinder andproviding sepmeans for admitting fuel mixture into said mitting escape of exhaust valve chamber and for permitting esca e ofexhaust gases therefrom, and a sing e valve mova'b e in said chamber for. controllingsaid fuel and exhaust gases.

2. A two-cycle engine comprising a cylinder casing having a series of annular exhaust ports and a series of annular inlet ports spaced therefrom, a-casing surrounding said cylinder and providing separated annularpassageways in communication with said exhaust ports and said inlet ports, respectively, a valve chamber connected with said annular passageways, means for admitting fuel mixture into said valve chamber and for permitting escape of exhaust gases therefrom, and a single valve movab e in said chamber for controlling said fuel and exhaust gases, said valve comprising a dia hragm separating the fuel admission and ex aust portlons of the valve chamber.

3. A two-cycle explosive engine comprising an engine cylinder having a series of annular exhaust ports and a series of annular inlet ports spaced therefrom, a casing surrounding said cylinder and pro viding separated annular passageways in communication with said exhaust ports and said inlet ports, respectively, a valve cylinder connected with said annular passageways, means for admitting fuel mixture into one end of said valve cylinder and for permitting escape of exhaust gases from the other end of said valve cylinder, and a single valve member separating the fuel mixture and exhaust portions of the valve cylinder and movable therein for opening and closing the exhaust and inlet openings into the valve cylinder in proper sequence to control the admission and exhaust to said engine cylinder.

4. A two-cycle explosive engine comprising an engine cylinder havinga series of annular exhaust ports and a series of annular inlet ports spaced therefrom, a casing surrounding said cylinder and providing separated annular passageways in communication with said exhaust ports and said inlet ports, respectively, a valve cylinder connected with said annular passageways, means for admitting fuel mixture into one end of said valve cylinder and for perases from the other end of said valve cylinder, a single .valve member se arating the fuel mixture and exhaust. portions of the valve cylinder and movable therein for opening and closing the exhaust and inlet openings into the valve cylinder in proper sequence to control the admission and exhaust to said engine cylinder, said valve member consistv ing of a central disk having sleeve poring a pair of engine cylinders each having a series of annular exhaust ports and a series of annular inlet ports spaced therefrom, an intermediate casing forming a valve chamber, a casing surrounding each of said engine cylinders and providing separated annular passageways in communication with said exhaust ports and said inlet ports, respectivel and with the valve chamber, a single val ve within the valve chamber for controlling the exhaust ports and the admission to the inlet ports of both engine cylinders, and means to operate the valve.

6. A two-cycle explosive engine comprising a pair of engine cylinders each having independent exhaust and inlet ports, a valve cylinder between the engine cylinders, means forming independent passageways for the I exhaust ports and the inlet ports of each engine cylinder, all of said passageways communicating through independent openings with the valve cylinder, said openings for the exhaust and admission, respectively, of the two engine cylinders being in common planes, a valve member comprising a central disk dividing the valve cylinder into two compartments communicating with the exhaust and inlet openings, respectively, said member also including a sleeve engaging the walls of the valve cylinder and having openings in thew-alls' at each side of said disk for cooperating with said openings from one engine cylinder and having cutaway portions at its top and bottom for co-# operation with the other set of openings whereby movement of the valve member will open and close the several openings in properly timed sequence to permit admission and exhaust from the engine cylinders and inlet ports, respectively, the passageway for the inlet ports being extended into the crank-case chamber, and a valve member in the valve chamber separating the same into admission and exhaust portions and movable to open and close said passages in timed relation to the opening and closing of the ports by the piston for permitting and terminating exhaust and admitting and terminating admission of fuel. mixture to said crank-case, and means to move the valve.

8. A two-cycle explosive engine comprising a cylinder and a piston therein, the cylinder having admission and exhaust ports so positioned in reference to the piston as to be opened and closed successively thereby, a casing providing a valve chamber and separated passages therefrom to said exhaust ports and others to said inlet ports through the crank case, respectively, and a valve member in the valve chamber separating the same into admission and exhaust portions and movable-to open and close said passages in timed relation to the opening and closing of the ports by the piston for permitting and terminating-exhaust and admitting and terminating admission of fuel mixture to said crank-case, and'means to move the valve.

9. A two-cycle explosive engine compris ing a cylinder and a piston therein, a cylinder having admission ports and exhaust ports circumferentially disposed one above the other and opened and closed successively by the piston, a casing surrounding said cylinder and providing separated annular passageways in communication with the exhaust ports and inlet ports, respectively, the inlet passageway being extended to communicate with the crank-case cham'ber, means to sup,- ply fuel mixture to the crank case through said inlet passageway, and a single valve movable to open and close said passages in timed relation to the opening and closing of the ports by the piston for permitting and terminating exhaust and permitting and terminating admission of fuel mixture to said crank-case, and means to move the valve.

10. A two-cycle explosive engine comprising a cylinder and a piston therein, the cylinder having admission and exhaust ports so positioned in reference to the piston as to be opened and closed successively thereby, a casing providing separated passages to the exhaust ports and to the inlet ports, said last-named passageway communicating with the crank-case cham ber, means to supply fuel mixture to'the crank case through said inlet passage, and a single va'l-ve movable to open and close said passages in timed relatlon to the opening and closing of the ports by the piston for permitting and terminating exhaust and permitting and termider and providing separated annular pas-.-

sages in communication with the exhaust ports and the inlet ports and providing a downward extension of the, inlet passage into the crank-case cylinder, means to supply fuel mixture to the crank case through said inlet passage, and a single valve movable.

to open and close said passages in timed relation to the opening and closing of the ports by the piston for permitting and terminating exhaust and permitting and-terminating admission of fuel mixture to said crank case, and means to move the valve,

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. ELLIS J. WOOLF. JAY F. WOOLF. Witnesses: y

F. A. WHITELEY, H. A. Bowman. 

